friends
friends — noun
1. Someone outside your family that you enjoy spending time with and feel close to,
Someone outside your family that you enjoy spending time with and feel close to, often sharing trust, secrets, and shared interests over many years.
Dahlia and Elena have been friends since they were six years old.
be friends since [time]
Eitan invited a few close friends to his birthday dinner at the noodle shop.
close friends
Ritu told her best friend Harper everything about the argument with her sister.
Many of my school friends still live in the same town today.
Dario made two new friends during the summer hiking trip in the mountains.
文法句型
friends with someone
a friend of someone
用法筆記
Usually plural in this sense — most natural collocations (make friends, close friends, school friends) take the plural. Distinguish from sense 2 (a non-hostile party in conflict or competition).
常見錯誤
2. A person, country, or group that you can rely on to support you rather than oppo
A person, country, or group that you can rely on to support you rather than oppose you, especially in a situation where there are sides.
Through the long civil war, Mexico remained a steady friend to the small island nation.
a friend to [country/group]
The guard at the gate shouted, "Friend or foe?" before lowering his weapon.
friend or foe (set phrase)
Tariq learned during the trial that the lawyer he had hired was no friend at all.
The new senator described himself as a friend of working families across the state.
- ally
stronger — usually involves a formal agreement to support each other
- supporter
emphasises active backing of a cause or person
- sympathiser
shares your views but may not act on them
文法句型
a friend to someone
friend or foe
用法筆記
Often used in political, diplomatic, or military contexts to mark allegiance rather than personal warmth. Distinguish from sense 1 by the absence of personal closeness — a country can be 'a friend' but not your 'close friend'.
常見錯誤
3. A person who regularly donates funds or other practical help to a museum, theatr
A person who regularly donates funds or other practical help to a museum, theatre, charity, or other public-good institution, usually in return for benefits like free entry or a newsletter.
Adisa joined the Friends of the National Gallery so her children could visit on weekends without paying.
Friends of [organisation] (proper-name pattern)
The small theatre survived the difficult year thanks to donations from its loyal friends.
loyal friends (of an institution)
Layla became a friend of the public library after the council cut its yearly budget.
The hospice sent its friends a printed report showing how their money had been spent.
文法句型
Friends of [organisation]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a public-good institution (museum, hospital, park, library, charity). Often capitalised in proper names like 'Friends of the Earth'. The bond is financial support, not personal acquaintance.
常見錯誤
4. A member of the Christian group officially called the Society of Friends, known
A member of the Christian group officially called the Society of Friends, known in everyday speech as the Quakers, whose worship is silent and who refuse to fight in wars.
Hyun's grandmother was a Friend who attended silent worship every Sunday in Philadelphia.
a Friend (capitalised, religious sense)
During the war, many Friends served as ambulance drivers instead of taking up arms.
Friends (plural, the religious group)
The small meeting house had been built by Friends in the eighteenth century.
Rohan studied the history of the Friends as part of his religious-studies degree.
- Quaker
everyday term; the Friends themselves use both
文法句型
a Friend
the Friends
用法筆記
Almost always capitalised to mark the religious meaning and avoid confusion with sense 1. Often appears in the proper name 'Society of Friends'.
常見錯誤
5. Someone you know slightly through other people or work, whom you would greet but
Someone you know slightly through other people or work, whom you would greet but not invite into your private life — a polite stretch of the word for any familiar face.
Élise ran into an old friend from her language class at the supermarket.
an old friend (mere acquaintance)
Dahlia introduced the new salesman to a friend who worked at the bank next door.
a friend (loose use, work contact)
Tariq waved at a couple of friends he had met once at a wedding last summer.
The hotel manager greeted every guest like a long-lost friend, though he had never met them.
- acquaintance
more accurate but more distant; often felt as colder
- contact
neutral; emphasises usefulness rather than warmth
- stranger
no recognition at all
文法句型
a friend of [person]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 by depth of relationship — this sense covers people you barely know but address warmly out of politeness. Often signalled by hedges like 'a friend of mine' rather than 'my friend'.
常見錯誤
friends — verb
1. To add another person to the list of people who can see and react to what you po
To add another person to the list of people who can see and react to what you post online, by clicking the appropriate button on their social-networking profile.
After the trip, Harper friended every cousin she had met at the family reunion.
friend + person
Layla quickly friended her new classmates so she could see their study posts.
friend + classmates
Adisa refused to friend her boss on the platform because she wanted to keep work and home separate.
The two old schoolmates finally friended each other after seeing their teacher's post.
- add
more general; works on most platforms
- connect with
preferred on LinkedIn-style professional networks
文法句型
friend someone
friend someone on [platform]
用法筆記
Object must be a person (or their profile), not an organisation. The opposite action is 'unfriend'. Mostly used about Facebook-style platforms; on others, 'follow' or 'add' is more common.